Visiting Asia

Here again the report of the last weekend's trip to the Delta. My office went back to Bogalay township, an area which was not as badly hit as Labbuta, but is getting much less aid than other areas.

06.06.08 (Friday)
MTL left for their 4^th trip (third trip to the delta) 8 pm, Friday night and arrived early Saturday morning at Bogalay at 4:30 am.

07.06.08 (Saturday)
They slept a little bit at a small guest house and at 7 am started to organize where to buy the goods we have to buy the goods in this very limited time.

As you might know, it is not advisable to come with full load of trucks to the delta, so we found our way how to successfully supply to the people in need.

Among the goods we bought was: rice ( 50 bags ) + blanket ( 500 ) + mosquito net ( 500 ) + water container ( 300 ) + glasses (300 ) + water filter ( 300 ) + plates ( 600 ) + bowls ( 300 ) + instant noodle soup ( + potatoes + onions + chick pea + beans + chili + salt

First Village ( Kyone Sein ) Raining time

before 512 people - now 311 - 2 hours boat ride (2^nd donor)

MTL has chosen this village because it is so far away and after 5 weeks we were the second time donors… Only 6 days ago this village was accessible – When MTL came they were out of stock for 3 days already and there meals consisted only of coconut meat and coconut liquid…They all stay in the monastery till their village will be rebuilt.

It took the villagers 3 days after the cyclone to finally be able to leave to Bogalay. (Most of the people were naked and did not dare to leave the village immediately). It took 3 days to get them dressed, partly with plastic bags, so they could finally leave to Bogalay for help.

The monk and the villagers left either to the monastery in Bogalay or to a refugee camp. Most of the villagers were sent back from the refugee camp 12 days ago.

They got rice + clothes + 10000 Kyats (US$ 8.70) per person from the government. Shortly after they arrived back to their village they got food + blankets from one local NGO (Mon Myat Myattar group) MTL was the second donor.

When MTL arrived they were trying to build up some huts with the woods remained from all the damage left after Nargis hit.

Second Village ( Ma Ku ) Raining period
before 549 - now 185 – another 2 and 1/2 hrs. boat ride (3^rd donor)

This village had not one single big house nor a big monastery, meaning that the whole village got destroyed. (remember in my first report I described how our water tank in Yangon flew like a feather – now imagine people living in huts…) This village was and is one of the poorest in this area.

All the novice monks and monks except of one monk died (before 2 monks and 3 novice). The surviving monk sat for hours on a tree and waited for the cyclone to end.

The villagers got a bit supply from the Government.

In one family only the grandmother survived. During the cyclone she was flooded into another village and was holding for 7 hours on a piece of wood.

From there she was brought to a refugee camp but she has been back to her village since last week.

Third Village ( Ngwe Thaung Yan ) (4rth donor)
before 590 - now 299 - One hour boat ride

245 of the 299 survivors left to a refugee camp and the remaining 54 stayed with relatives in Bogalay. However, they had to leave the camp 12 days ago and returned to a village which was completely destroyed. Everybody of them lost at least one family member.

There is an old well from which they are using dirty water but they boiled the water. We are 4^th time donors. They got some help from government, monks and a local NGO.

Fourth village ( Ye Kyaw Kauk )

before 360 - now 171 - Half and hour boat ride (2^nd donor)

MTL was told that nobody knew that there is a cyclone on the way. They only heard rumors of a cyclone, but nothing to be worried. As to thousands of others this disaster came with full surprise. This village has many coconut trees where they could hold on. After the disaster they left to Bogalay as all was gone. They were also sent back 'home' 12 days ago. The government supplied them with plastic sheets to cover the frame of the existing huts.

There are many people out there who now live in a kind of blackout, do not connect to their surrounding any longer and do not know how to build up their future as many of them are the only survivors of a family of 8 to 12 people.

They got enough food from their first private donor so we just came in time for the next supply.

Fifth village (Kyone Sein Gyi)

Before 446 persons - now 146 persons

Here the villagers left only after one week of the cyclone, eating spoilt rice and drinking coconut milk. A government boat discovered them and took them to a refugee camp to Bogalay. 12 days ago they were sent back 'home'. On the way back they got some rice and 2 yards of plastic sheet (per family) in order to help to restore their lives.

Now they started building small huts out of wooden pieces from damaged houses. The only building which did not collapse was the monastery, however, it is not safe any longer as it also suffered damages and now 'leaning to a side…'

At 5.30 pm MTL returned to Bogalay and went early to bed. In the middle of the night heavy monsoon started up to 7 am in the morning.

08.06.08 ( Sunday ) – 5 hrs boat ride (FIRST DONOR)

01. Aye Yar Tan ( before 512 - now 123 )
02. Kone Tan Pauk ( before 459 - now 185)
03. Da Ni Poat ( before 700 - now 195)

Only at 9:15 am MTL was able to start their trip to the villages as it was too dangerous to drive by boat. The people of the village number 2 and number 3 stay at the moment on the monastery compound of village number 1. Even the boat driver did not exactly know where the villages were located and did not know that 2 villages joined another one. The arms of the river were very narrow and it was very difficult to find the remaining huts behind the coconut trees. Finally MTL discovered a monastery and stopped there with our supplies. According to the monk they did not get any information about a cyclone coming to their area. All 3 villages are located west of Bogalay town and very close by the sea.

They survived because of their monk who went to Bogalay town and asked the township authorities to get food for them and bring to his village. He also told village number 2 and 3 to join his village although one third of his monastery roof was missing, he considered it a safer place to stay with him.

He asked MTL to personally distribute to everybody the goods and he wants to see with 'his own eyes' that people came to help. Although this took over 3 hours, MTL accepted his request. The villagers were in this moment so happy that they started clapping. They were given a name list of all the villagers in order to not give someone twice. In the middle of the donation Soe Soe saw a boy and a girl in the corner who did not move and who did not dare to ask for the donation. Nobody really knew abt them and they were not on the name list. (It is not easy to find parents and relatives as there is no such as family name in Myanmar culture.) Now the monk is taking care of them and they are finally on the name list. The last to receive the donation was the monk and he asked MTL to pray for the dead to arrive to their peaceful destination.

So they did in front of the monk all the villagers behind them said Thardu, Thardu, Thardu (well done, well done, well done – which is a blessing given by monks and people who got donations). After the blessings all of a sudden the dogs started to howl and the monk believed that this was a message sent by the dead that they now are free and can go to their next destiny. For our Buddhist staff it was one of their biggest blessings they achieved as they helped to release the souls from the damaged villages.

7^th village ( Myin Ga Oak ) (FIRST DONOR)
Before 570 people – now 63.

… only 3 women survived. Ko Aung, our young guide told them to rebuild their life with a family. One man answered, that how can they rebuild without women? For a short while there was laughter as MTL was asked to bring next time as a donation some women.

In this village MTL was told many times that they saved their lives and came in last minute. MTL replied that without the funds of our clients and friends as well as our sources for getting the funds and supplies safely to Myanmar we would never had been able to do so. All the villagers want to let everybody know that they will never forget what you have been doing for them and want to express their deepest gratitude.

11 year old boy in village number 7